Several houses in parts of Pulwama were ransacked and inmates thrashed allegedly by armed forces and militants Thursday night, hours after the bullet-ridden body of the abducted soldier was found. The police and army have denied the involvement of their men in any such incident but the villagers allege that the forces “vandalized the houses of active Hizbul Mujahideen militants. Some masked men, who the witnesses alleged were militants, have allegedly raided the houses of a former National Conference leader and a village head.
On Thursday morning militants had abducted an army man, who was on way home from his place of posting, by suspected militants in Kalampora area. Later his bullet-riddled body was recovered from Goosu. The army man, identified as Aurangzeb of Poonch, was posed in Pulwama district.
Villagers in Chandpora alleged, “The forces vandalized the houses, damaged parked vehicles, thrashed people and detained militant families.”
“At around 10:45 pm forces entered into the house of active Hizb militant Showkat Ahmed Bhat. The family members present there were ruthlessly thrashed and his three brothers were also detained,” a Chandpora resident said wishing anonymity.
Forces, according to Chandpora residents, also raided Hizb militant Zahoor Ahmed Thokar’s houses and beat up his family members. “They were so mercilessly beaten that the neighbors staged a protest against the atrocities.” The protests turned violent when the armed forces tried to chase away the demonstrators. ” A group of youth also threw stones at the armed personnel who responded with aerial firing, an eyewitness said adding that the armed forces were so furious that they damaged dozens of houses while retreating from the scene. On July 6 2017, Territorial Army soldier Zahoor Ahmad Thokar of Sirnoo, had deserted his unit in Gantamulla area of Baramulla district and fled with an AK 47 rifle and ammunition to join the Hizbul Mujahideen militant outfit.
In Begh Pora area of Awantipora, forces allegedly ransacked the house of top Hizb commander Riyaz Naikoo. Naikoo’s family members were also beaten and the house was vandalized, the locals said. Barely few kilometers away in Dogripora the residents alleged that the forces ravaged the house of Hizb militant Abdul Lateef Dar and beat up his family members.
The militants according to villagers in Nilora barged into Ghulam Nabi Wani and thrashed the inmates. The militants, according to locals, also set on fire the security picket in Wani’s compound before escaping the scene. Wani is former member of opposition National Conference. Few paces down Wani’s house lives Shabir Ahmed Rather who works with police as Special Police Officer. The militants, local sources said, raided his house and damaged doors and windowpanes.
In Nowpora Payeen Pulwama the house of former sarpanch (village head) was also ransacked by militants, the locals alleged. The sarpanch himself was thrashed and was released only after his family pleaded with the militants. The house of CRPF trooper at Hajidar Pora was also attacked by militants, the inhabitants of the area alleged.
S.P Awantipora Mohammad Zahid Malik denied the involvement of police in any raids conducted at militants’ houses. “I categorically reject any allegation against police. We had not launched any operation nor have we entered into any house. I cannot say anything about the involvement of army and CRPF,” he told Greater Kashmir over phone.
Col Rajesh Kalia, who speaks for the army’s Srinagar-based 15 Corps, told Greater Kashmir that the allegations were baseless and no army soldier was involved in any attack.
The inhabitants in Chandpora and adjoining areas have alleged that common people were being “sandwiched” between such attacks by militants and armed forces at each other.